Minako WIP
by DeeJayers
Summary: THIS IS A WIP. IT'S ONLY UP HERE SO THAT I CAN KEEP THE FILE SAFE IN CASE MY LAPTOP HAS TO BE WIPED CLEAN. IF YOU WANNA READ IT, FEEL FREE BUT KNOW THAT IT IS INCOMPLETE AND MAY NOT BE COMPLETE FOR A WHILE YET. SORRY, YO.


**THIS IS A WIP. IT'S ONLY UP HERE SO THAT I CAN KEEP THE FILE SAFE IN CASE MY LAPTOP HAS TO BE WIPED CLEAN. IF YOU WANNA READ IT, FEEL FREE BUT KNOW THAT IT _IS_ INCOMPLETE AND MAY NOT BE COMPLETE FOR A WHILE YET. SORRY, YO.**

_BEEE-_

A loud _thunk_ sounded as a large, work-calloused hand shot out and slammed down on the obnoxiously blaring alarm clock that, despite its presence, was utterly unnecessary. That same fist then moved to quietly lift the warmed ebony comforter off of the lean well-toned body underneath, revealing smooth olive skin and firm muscles. Alert cobalt eyes looked lazily around the room, more from habit than from any actual need to make sure everything was as it should be. Some habits just couldn't be broken, though, and that was one of them.

Slipping gracefully out of his bed, Heero stretched his arms over his head and padded across his cool hardwood floor with all the skill and silence of his war days. That was another skill - among many - that had not faded throughout the years. It had helped a lot during his time as a Preventer, often being one of his keys to a safe, successful mission.

He shook his head sharply, sleep-tousled chocolate locks moving with him; this was not the time to be thinking about work. He had things to do. Namely, getting a shower and dressed then waking up Minako for school. Even as he made his way into his bathroom and prepared to bathe, his thoughts drifted over to the young girl. He climbed into the shower as his thoughts were lost completely to the memories.

Minako, his daughter that he hadn't known he had until she was brought to him by police officers, had quickly taken over his life as his number one priority. She was a dainty but stubborn little girl of the fragile age of 8. She, surprisingly, had taken his eye and hair color instead of her mothers', which had been dark, dark brown eyes and sleek black hair. Her mother hadn't been completely Japanese but the influence was strong, as was noticeable by her slightly slanted eyes and short, delicate build.

The woman, Kaoru, had taken Minako and run after giving birth to her, not wanting to have to give her up to the man who could obviously take better care of her even if he didn't know she existed. She had managed to stay under the radar for six years of Minako's life until she was found, beaten and bruised, outside a police station with Minako wrapped possessively within her arms. Minako had no physical injuries, just emotional and psychological bruises.

Kaoru had unwillingly agreed to let Minako be taken away by child services on the condition that she be given directly to Heero, wherever he was. They had agreed readily when they found him in their database as one of the top Preventers known in the entire Earth Sphere and Colonies. They did let her know, however, that if Heero didn't want Minako that he had every right to deny her and have her put up for adoption.

Kaoru had argued firmly in his favor, saying that there was no way he would skimp out on any duty as serious as raising his child.

Not long afterwards, Heero received a call from them informing him of what all had happened and he was given the choice to either take Minako into custody or put her up for adoption. He, after taking a moment to let the information sink in, had agreed to take Minako into his home and raise her, albeit slightly unsure. Trowa and Wufei had been happy, if not a tad curious, for him and had quickly decided to help the Japanese man whenever he needed it. Quatre had immediately taken to trying to prepare Heero's home for a child and even succeeded, to an extent. Trowa had had to take him away when he began to go overboard, making Heero's home ready for an infant [Heero had quickly informed the blond that Minako was actually 6 and therefore didn't need half of the things that he had bought for her.].

Then the day came when she arrived and instantly Heero could see himself in the small child. Despite being in unfamiliar territory with unfamiliar people, she kept her chin up and blazing cobalt eyes - just a shade or two lighter than his own - off the floor. She accepted what was thrown at her with a trusting, innocent intelligence that belied her age. Heero had been worried that she might be _too_ much like him until she let loose a wide, ear-to-ear grin that was as cheeky as could be and asked him what was for dinner. He'd been lost then and there, knowing the little girl had him wrapped around her tiny little finger and knowing she knew it fully well.

Climbing out of the shower and quickly wrapping a towel around his waist, Heero merely stared at the foggy mirror for a few seconds before shaking his head lightly, now-cold water droplets flying every which way, and walking out into his bedroom. He flipped on the lights as he passed them until he reached his dresser, which was beside the blinds-covered window facing the front yard.

He could just barely see the sun beginning to rise in the distance and after glancing at the clock to make sure he still had plenty of time, he dried off and got dressed in his normal Preventers uniform. He didn't go on hard missions much at all anymore, needing to be home for Minako most of the time, but he was able to handle the missions that were close to home better. It gave the Headquarters a sense of security, knowing that they had one of the three Gundam pilots working at the building constantly. Trowa and Wufei were sent almost incessantly on difficult missions, some being short, others taking a up to months at a time.

Toweling his hair dry, Heero slipped silently out of his room, past Minako's bedroom, then downstairs and dumped the wet towel into the washer with the rest of the dirty clothes and towels. Adding a decent amount of detergent, he pressed the start button and left the machine to do its work. Still walking with all the silence and grace of a cat, he padded into his kitchen a mere fifteen steps away and set up the coffee machine and everything he would need in order to make breakfast. Calmly, he glanced at the clock on the stove.

5:45.

He was making good time. Finishing with the coffee machine and the breakfast materials, he set about grabbing all of his belongings for work. His laptop case, briefcase, and Preventers jacket were all neatly stacked next to the front door, along with his car keys, by the time 6:00 rolled around and, with a few sips of steaming coffee warming him from his belly out, Heero began his trip upstairs to wake Minako.

Her bedroom [which had been one of the two guest bedrooms at one point] was painted and furnished to her desires. The walls were all a gentle amethyst [along with the ceiling] and all of her furniture was made of white wood. Along her left wall was a long dresser that reached to about his waist, picture frames and little stuffed animals placed decoratively along the top, as well as the door to her fairly large closet. The wall directly opposite it had a tall, wide window with delicate but thick violet curtains blocking out the faint light from the sun. Then, directly in front of him and in the center of the room, was Minako's large but comfortable bed with the purple sheets and comforter to match the walls. And in the center of that large bed laid Minako, her long chocolate hair splayed around her slight figure as she slept peacefully, her back to her window and the family cat [a large but oh so gentle solid white cat with bright green eyes] curled up within her arms. Gina, the cat, lifted her head at his entrance and purred softly in greeting before setting her head back down delicately on her paws and closing her eyes again.

Smiling softly, Heero walked silently across the soft beige carpet only to sit down on the edge of Minako's bed and lean over her, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. Gently brushing her silky hair out of her face, he murmured a low, "Time to wake up, Mina-chan. You've got school today, remember?" A cute pout formed on her face and she tried to burrow further into her cocoon of blankets. Chuckling lightly at this daily ritual, Heero tried again with more success. "Come on, Minako. We can't have you being late for school, now, can we?" Stunning blue eyes, sleepy and innocent, opened slowly to peer up at him blearily. "Do I have to Papa?" She whispered back and Heero nodded. She pouted cutely again for a second before sighing and nodding. "Okay Papa." Smiling, Heero ruffled her wild hair and stood up to get her clothes for the day.

"What do you want to wear today, Minako?" He called softly over his shoulder, noticing the soft sounds of Gina getting up and trotting out of the room. "Umm… Can I wear that blue skirt Uncle Quatre got for me today?" Came Minako's voice. Heero nodded and quickly pulled the garment out, as well as the matching light blue shirt. He grabbed a pair of long socks as well as clean panties and set them all out for the young girl. He heard her stumbling sleepily over to him and smiled down at her when she reached him, wrapping slender arms around his leg in a brief hug before reaching for her clothes. "Do you need any help?" He asked and chucked slightly when he received a shake of her head. "Alright, then. I'll get your shoes and meet you down in the kitchen, okay? Don't take too long." Minako flashed him a bright smile. "Okay Papa!"

Ruffling her hair once more, he walked the few steps over to her closet and opened it only to pull out a pair of knee-high light brown boots that tied all the way to the top. Watching Minako for a moment to make sure she was indeed fine, he left her room and set her shoes next to the front door where his boots always stayed. Making his way back into his kitchen, he picked up his still-warm cup of coffee and sipped at it while he began making a simple breakfast of over-easy eggs and buttermilk pancakes.

Minako, dressed and brushing her hair with some difficulty, hopped her way downstairs and into the kitchen just as he was setting their plates and glasses of respective orange juice and coffee by their plates at the bar attached to the sink. She smiled brightly up at him and climbed up onto the tall stool with very little trouble. "Itadakimasu!" She crowed happily before digging in, making Heero snicker amusedly. He repeated the word quietly before following his daughters example and eating his breakfast. They ate in comfortable silence, as was typical for their breakfast, and when they finished Heero washed the used dishes as Minako dried them and stacked them for him to put away.

"Ne, Papa?" Came Minako's soft soprano as they were finishing the dishes. Heero looked down at her curiously, one chocolate brow raised. "Can you braid my hair today? Please?" Heero, to his credit, managed not to wince at the thought of long brown braids and instead nodded down at her. "Yes. I'll braid it when we're done with the dishes." Minako gleefully thanked him and set to drying the dishes quickly. In no time, Minako was sat on one of the stools and Heero was carefully, gently running the brush through the well-cared for locks. They reached her bottom and continued to grow, much to Minako's delight. She seemed to have a love of long hair and absolutely dreaded when she had to get hers trimmed.

Carefully splitting the hair into three sections, Heero began braiding the hair as firmly as he could without hurting Minako. Barely a minute later and he was tying a deep purple ribbon around the end with about an inch and a half left that couldn't be braided yet. Patting Minako on the head and setting the brush on the counter, Heero said, "All done." and moved to begin gathering Minako's school supplies. Majority of it was already in place but there were a few things that needed to be placed in her book bag before they could put their shoes on and leave. "Thank you Papa!" Beamed the cobalt-eyed girl, Heero smirking back at her over his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Come on, let's get our shoes on so we can go." He replied as he finished filling her book bag and started for the door.

Minako hopped down from her perch and pranced happily over to the door where she squatted down to stroke Gina, the fluffy white cat purring loudly and rubbing her head against Minako's tiny hand. She calmly fell back on her butt as Heero grabbed one of her shoes and slipped her foot into it, tying it up quickly and efficiently. He repeated this process with her other foot before grabbing his own shoes and putting them on. "Grab your jacket, Mina-chan. We've got to go." He said, Minako getting to her feet and dusting off her skirt daintily before grabbing her jacket from where it hung on the coat hooks near the front door. Slipping his own jacket on, Heero pulled his work issued hand gun out from where it was hidden in the door side table and holstered it at the small of his back. He picked up his briefcase, laptop case, and car keys while Minako opened the door, a big smile on her cute face. "Bye-bye Gina-chan!" Said Minako, waving to the cat, before rushing outside and to the dark, sleek car that the Preventers more-than-adequate pay had purchased. She waited impatiently at the passenger door and Heero snickered, smirking at her, and she stuck her tongue out in response. "Minako Yuy! How dare you stick your tongue out at me!" Yelled Heero admonishingly, not really meaning it. Minako just giggled and smiled up at him, exclaiming, "Hurry _up_, Papa!"

Rolling his eyes at her enthusiasm, Heero unlocked the car and climbed in, Minako following suit and quickly buckling her seatbelt. She placed her book bag at her feet and Heero placed his in the back seat. After buckling himself in, he started the car and smoothly pulled out of the driveway, heading for the exit to the subdivision. It took seconds - there weren't many people out yet - and in no time he was on his way to Minako's elementary school. It wasn't far from his home or work, which made him feel better about not being there to watch over her and it was a good school with strict but just teachers so he didn't have to worry about too much else.

Arriving at the school, he pulled smoothly up to the parent drop-off and leaned over to give Minako a kiss and a hug. "Love you, Mina-chan. Take care and have fun." Minako returned the gestures after unbuckling herself and pulling her dark purple book bag onto her shoulders. "I love you too, Papa. See you after school!" With that said, she hopped out of the car and ran up to meet up with some of her friends. Just before she disappeared into the building, she turned around and shot him a bright grin as well as a peace sign, her way of saying, "I'll see you later! Love ya!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Heero pulled out of his spot and left the school. He turned his car towards the city he lived just outside of and, with nothing other than the soft music that floated through the speakers and the sounds of the cars around him to make noise, drove on. It took slightly longer to get to work than it did to take Minako to school, but Heero didn't really care too much. It was a necessary evil, and even then it wasn't too incredibly bad.

When he reached the tall, tall building he pulled calmly into the parking garage and then into one of the parking spots that was reserved for Trowa, Wufei, himself, and any other high-ranking Preventer.

Shutting off the car, Heero reached behind him and grabbed his two bags before climbing out of his car and glancing around the parking area lazily. Wufei was already there; unsurprising, that. Trowa, too, was already there which was very mildly surprising. Heero normally made it into the office before Trowa did.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Heero made his way over to the doors that would take him directly into the front lobby where he would sign in and head up to his, Trowa's, and Wufei's office. He was greeted warmly by the young secretary at the front desk. Miss Adams, that was her name. "Good morning, Agent Yuy. How is little Minako today?" Ah, yes. Everyone in the building knew about her, and everyone adored her. She had come into the office on more than one occasion and before she left the first time she had just about everyone wrapped around her pinky. Even the strict Lady Une couldn't resist the little girls' charms. "Good morning. She's good, if not a little cheeky." He replied politely, signing his name quickly and excusing himself with an equally polite nod. Miss Adams waved before turning back to her work.

Reaching the elevator that would take him to his floor, Heero pressed the button to call the machine and waited patiently for it to arrive before pressing the button for the 14th floor. Altogether there were 18 floors, with Commander Une's office being on the top floor.

The silver door slid open and without a second thought he stepped inside, nodding politely to the bleary-eyed coworker that was leaning against the corners of one wall, nursing a large travel mug filled with coffee from what Heero could smell. The guy nodded back at him and Heero pressed the button for his floor before stepping back to lean against the other corner.

The guy - Agent Jack Mitchell - was one of the lower ranked agents in the building and although he was good at what he did, he was not anywhere near the best and he knew it. He didn't expect much other than the average from his job and knew that, if he was lucky, he might one day get to go on a mission with one of the Gundam pilots or even one of the other high ranking agents.

The elevator stopped at the 6th floor and, with a mumbled, "See ya, Agent Yuy," Jack meandered out of the metal box and down the hall, quickly disappearing from Heero's sight as the doors slid closed once more and resumed it trek to the 14th floor.

It made it without any more stops and, once on his floor, Heero walked the few steps to the office he shared with his fellow Gundam pilots and pushed the door open. Instantly, two sets of eyes were on him and he nodded minutely. "Good morning," he mumbled softly, receiving similar greetings from both Trowa and Wufei.

Making his way to his personal desk, he set his stuff down before starting up his work computer and sitting down in his comfortable chair. He pushed it around so that he could see Trowa and Wufei, both of whom were watching him as he absently keyed in his pass code when asked for it by his computer. "How's Minako today?" Came Wufei's voice, the tone relaxed and slightly affectionate. Trowa smiled. "She seemed a bit more energetic than usual yesterday, even while doing her homework." He added in, making Heero shake his head with a light smirk.

"She's fine. She's as energetic as usual, and I'm just waiting for her to start asking me what she can do for her birthday." He replied, shrugging lightly and glancing at his screen as an e-mail popped up. Ah, from Une. What did she want him to do this time? He opened the message, ignoring it in favor of listening to his friends laugh a little. It was always great to hear them laugh, especially after all they had been through. All the wars, everything they had to do to survive and win the war… All of it had left a rather nasty taste in their mouth's after the wars were over. Any bit of happiness they could get was cherished.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Snickered Trowa, his one visible eye gleaming in amusement. "Ah, that's right. Her birthday is in two weeks, isn't it?" Smirked Wufei at the same time, making all three of them snicker lightly. "Because you know Minako? And yes, two weeks. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to get her this year." Replied Heero, a smirk twisting his lips and making his cobalt eyes gleam. At this, Wufei and Trowa laughed loudly causing Heero to scowl faintly. "Maybe if you'd stop going overboard with her presents each year it'd be a bit easier, Heero." Smirked Trowa. Wufei nodded his agreement, a knowing smirk on his lips as well. "Barton has a point, there, Yuy. And it'd also make us look like better uncles, too. If you keep blowing our gifts out of the water like you've been doing we're going to have to get with Winner and come up with something to leave you in the dust." He quipped, making Heero roll his eyes in an odd display of cocky disbelief.

"Whatever you say, Chang." Heero retorted, turning around to face his computer and read the message that had been sent. He blinked, stunned, and reread it two more times before turning to stare with shocked eyes at the two knowingly smirking men behind him. "She actually _found_ him? There's no way! He'd have never let her find him if he didn't want her to." He exclaimed, shock clear in his voice. Trowa laughed then, his head tossed back and eyes closed in full-blown laughter while Wufei merely shrugged, snickering, and nodded in agreement. "We know that already, Yuy. But you know Une; she'll never believe that he _let_ her find him instead of her finding him without him knowing. Chances are he knew everything she was doing to try and find him. After all, the only one better at computers than him is yourself, Yuy." Sniggered the Chinese pilot. Heero scowled at his obvious amusement, turning back to his computer and quickly typing up a response to the woman.

Duo.

Duo.

He'd finally come out of hiding. Finally, after all the years since the end of the wars, he was coming back. Better than that, he was joining the Preventers and being paired up with Heero. Apparently Une had talked to Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre before telling Heero anything and asked about how he and Duo worked together. After getting positive responses from all three, she told Duo about who he was going to be partnered with and apparently Duo had had no problems with it. Not that Heero did, either, but it did irk him to an extent that Une had completely ignored him while asking his friends about how he worked with the Deathscythe pilot.

Heero closed his eyes, snorting slightly in amusement, before opening them once more to stare at his computer screen. His fingers never once stopped tapping rapidly across the keyboard, years of constant practice making it possible for him to type a flawless response without even glancing at the keyboard.

Duo was scheduled to arrive some time that day but at what time no one knew for sure. He could arrive in a few minutes or a few hours or even right before they were able to go home. No one knew.

With that thought in mind, and a certain glint of excitement in his eyes, Heero poured himself into his work. He had a few cases that he needed to type up reports on, a couple that he needed to check some leads on, and one that he had to study for a light mission that was soon to come.

He barely noticed the clock on his computer rolling steadily on, counting the hours and minutes as they passed.

Lunchtime rolled around faster than Heero had expected, having lost track of time while painstakingly going through the trouble of tying up detailed reports for none other than the Lady Une. He had managed to get two completed and sent off and was in the middle of the third when Trowa stood up, automatically drawing the attention from the two Asian's in the room with him to himself. He smiled disarmingly at them, understanding their instant reactions. "Lunch time, guys. What do you say we go try out that new café down the street? I've heard good things about it." He said, Wufei and Heero standing and stretching.

"You mean that Night and Day Café? Yeah, there's been a lot of talk about it around the building. Apparently they have some delicious subs." Came Wufei's voice, the Chinese man grabbing his jacket from off of the back of his chair and slipping it on, his holstered gun carefully hidden from sight. Heero followed suit, checking his cellphone as he went. It was vibrating, meaning he either had a text or a call. He blinked, his eyes widening, as he saw that it was Minako's school calling.

Instantly, he pressed the answer call button and held the device to his ear, saying, "What happened to Minako?" There was a collective gasp on his side of the phone and a disapproving sigh on the other side. "Mr. Yuy, I'm afraid you're going to have to come get Miss Minako. She got into a fight during recess and the two boys she fought with have had to go to the hospital." Heero's sudden laugh made both the woman on the phone and his friends stop, wondering in shock what in the world was so funny. "Is that all? God, I thought something had happened to her! Hahaha! I'll be there in thirty minutes to get her." The woman sputtered, sounding disbelieving, and replied. "Sir! You're daughter sent two little boys to the hospital! How can you laugh about that?" At this, Heero scowled darkly and growled into the phone, "Minako doesn't fight unless she has an extremely valid reason. Those two boys must have done something serious if Minako sent them both to the hospital." As soon as the two eavesdropping pilots heard this, they erupted into laughter, amused beyond belief at the events. Wufei snickered a proud, "Good job, Mina-chan! You show those boys how it's done!" while Trowa laughed out a horribly amused, "I can't wait to hear what she did to them!" Heero smirked at them, pride glowing in his eyes as he dealt with the woman. She couldn't seem to grasp the fact that he wasn't displeased in the slightest and, with a firm command to tell Minako to behave until he got there, Heero hung up the phone and stuffed it back into his pockets before slipping his jacket on and smirking at his friends.

"Well, it looks like I'll have to pass on lunch with you both today. I have to go pick up Minako seeing as how she's been suspended from school for five days." He grinned, snickers and pride lacing his words. Wufei and Trowa matched his expression, each of them still sniggering. "That's fine. Tell her good job for us, okay?" Said Trowa, the three of them making their way from the office and into the elevator. Heero nodded, cobalt eyes twinkling with mirth. "Will do. What do you think, should I treat her to ice cream for it? After I get the details, of course." He replied, receiving a firm nod from Wufei. "Definitely. Are you not taking your car? I noticed you left the keys in our office." Heero smirked darkly. "As a treat for Minako, I'm going to borrow one of the bikes and ride that instead. You know how much she loves to ride the motorcycles." All three men snickered then. Love was an understatement; Minako absolutely _adored_ riding them and was always happy as can possibly be when she got to ride them.

Trowa smirked. "No wonder she loves you so much. You spoil her rotten, Heero." Heero rolled his eyes skyward at that, snorting. "I do not. I merely know what she likes, and the best ways to reward her for doing something good." He said, stubbornly ignoring the knowing looks both Wufei and Trowa sent him. The elevator came to a stop on the bottom floor, releasing them out into the car garage. "Either way. I'll see you two back in the office."

"See you in a bit, Heero." Came Trowa's smug reply, Heero heading to the car rental to get the keys to one of the larger motorcycles. Trowa and Wufei went the other way, heading to the taller man's car.

"Hello, Agent Yuy. What can I do for you?" Asked the young man behind the counter, a computer in front of him and a pleasant smile on his face. "I need the keys to the black Harley Heritage Softail Classic." He said, the kid nodding and grabbing the keys. He typed in the code number for the bike, as well as Heero's badge number, before handing over the keys and a black helmet. "Here you are, Agent Yuy. Is there anything else I can do for you?" He said, still pleasant. "I need the special helmet made for Minako Yuy." He said, the kid blinking in surprise before leaning back and looking for said helmet. He found it after a second, the helmet off by itself with a note to not be used by anyone except for Minako Yuy.

Grabbing the violet helmet with an air-brushed design of white wings across the sides, he handed it over the counter and Heero nodded politely. "Thank you." He said, tucking both helmets under one arm before leaving the small office-type room and heading over to the motorcycle.

It was a large bike, the Harley he had rented, and it was powerful as well. It was painted in all black and chrome with black leather studded seats and saddlebags and chrome aluminum profile laced wheels. The gas tank was a shining black, as well as the front and rear wheel covers, and the handlebars and a few other bars on the bike were colored to match. Everything else, however, was a glowing, well-cared-for silver.

Stopping beside it, he opened one of the saddlebags and dropped Minako's helmet inside before closing it again and starting up the bike. He let it warm up for a few moments, revving the motorcycle and making its chrome tailpipe pop and spit fire, before pulling his own helmet on and buckling it tightly.

Climbing onto the powerful machine, Heero stood it up completely and left the parking spot, stopping at the entrance and exit of the car garage just long enough to make sure no one was coming before pulling out and tearing down the road with a loud roar from the Harley.

If there was anything he loved about motorcycles, it was the constant feel of cool wind wrapping around his body and the warmth of the sun falling down upon him, keeping him from getting either too hot or too cold.

Relaxing, letting his mind drift into comfortable silence, Heero drove towards Minako's school without really thinking about it. He knew the quickest way there and had driven enough times that he could safely make it there and back to his house or work while sleeping. Of course he would never do that but that was besides the point.

He arrived at the school within the time he had said it would take, parking the bike in the closest parking spot available before hanging the helmet off the handlebars and heading into Minako's school and into the front office. Minako was already in there, her bookbag sitting next to her on the long couch, with a book in her hands. His eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed that her hands had been wrapped and that she had a Band-Aid on her cheek but he smiled approvingly at her as she looked up at him, her intelligent blue eyes glowing happily. "Papa!" She exclaimed, hopping off the couch and forgetting completely about her book as she rushed up to him only to be scooped up into a firm, loving hug. "Hello, Mina-chan. Ready to go?" He smiled, Minako nodding quickly and leaping from his arms. She landed softly and quickly shoved her book back into her bag while Heero walked up to the front desk to speak to the secretary.

"Mr. Yuy, we've given Minako all of the work she would be missing for class so all you have to do is sign her out and take her home." Said the woman, Heero nodding. He already knew all of this but there wasn't a point in saying that. The woman was only doing her job.

Signing Minako out and nodding politely to the woman, Heero turned around to smirk at Minako and hold her hand as she held it out to him. "Ne, Papa? Am I gonna go to work with you?" Asked Minako as they walked, the young girl looking up at him hopefully. Heero smiled down at her. "Yes. Uncle Wufei and Uncle Trowa said good job, as well. They want to know what all happened today, as do I." Minako cheered exuberantly, jumping into the air with happiness. "Yay! I get to go see Uncle Wuffles and Uncle Tro!" She hollered, making Heero laugh. As they neared the motorcycle, however, Minako's cheers of seeing her adoptive Uncle's turned to ecstatic words about riding the bike. "Papa! We get to ride the bike today!" She all but screamed, hugging his legs tightly before running up to the bike and instantly searching for her helmet. She found it quickly, replacing the spot the helmet had been occupying in the saddlebag with her bookbag before pulling said helmet onto her head and buckling it down.

Heero laughed, amused, and followed her example at a more sedate pace. Minako hopped excitedly in place while Heero turned the bike on, climbed onto it, and backed it out of the parking spot he had pulled into before motioning for her to get on. He had to help her, as always, but as soon as she was on she gripped his belt loops and begged him to go. He laughed and happily obliged, pulling away from the school and heading back into the city. There was an ice cream parlor that Minako loved to go to not too far from the Preventers headquarters and he figured that, if anything, she deserved an ice cream cone for whatever she had done.

"Minako, how do you feel about ice cream?" He called over his shoulder, Minako yelling happily in consent. "Yes please Papa!" He laughed again, a greatly amused grin on his lips. "Alright. Ice cream it is then." He replied, receiving a tight hug around his waist for it.

The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence and when they reached the ice cream parlor, Minako all but threw her helmet off in her rush to get inside the building. Sighing, Heero hooked both helmets to the bike and tucked the keys into his pocket before following in after her. "Minako, calm down. You'll get your ice cream, promise." He said, reaching down to grab her hand. Minako pouted. "Awwww, but Papa! I haven't had ice cream in a while! I'm excited!" Heero snorted, smirking lightly. "Trust me, I know you're excited. And look, it's our turn now. Tell him what you want." Minako slipped her hand from his to grip the edge of the counter, pulling herself up onto her tip toes to smile brightly at the teenager behind the counter. "Can I have Cookie-Splosion in a waffle cone with sprinkles and whipped cream?" She asked sweetly, looking as excited as possible. The teen couldn't help the smile and nodded, saying, "Sure thing. Comin' right up, little lady. Anything for you, sir?" Heero shook his head with a minute smirk. "No, thank you." The teen shrugged and quickly made up Minako's order, handing it to the young girl before taking the money Heero handed over and taking care of the order.

"Here's your change, sir. Have a nice day." He said, smiling and tilting his head in a nod. Heero nodded back, herding Minako over to one of the small corner booths and looking around the parlor. There weren't many people around, just the two of them and the worker, and anyone outside the building.

Relaxing somewhat, Heero let Minako eat some more of her ice cream before speaking. "So, what happened out there?" Minako glanced up at him innocently, a devious glint in her eyes and grin on her lips. She licked the ice cream from around her mouth before talking. "You know Johnny and Richie, right?" At Heero's nod, she continued. "Well, me and Tanya were playing outside during recess and Johnny and Richie came over and started being mean to Tanya. They were pushing her around and saying mean things and they hurt her leg. So I told them to stop and they told me to shut up and that it was none of my beeswax what they did to Tanya. I got really mad then and told them that if they didn't leave Tanya alone that I'd beat them up." She took a moment to take a deep breath. "And they didn't like it so they started trying to hit me. Then we got into a fight and I scratched my knuckles 'cause I punched them so many times. Johnny managed to punch me in the face though and so I kicked him in the stomach like Uncle Wufei taught me. Then they wouldn't get back up and the teachers came up and told me I was in trouble for fighting. That made me madder 'cause I didn't start it." She scowled angrily then, looking adorably irritated. "I just ended it. That'll teach those jerks to mess with Tanya again, though." Heero felt pride well up inside him and he gave Minako a wide grin, reaching across the table to ruffle her wild bangs affectionately. "Great job, Mina-chan. If they ever mess with you or your friends again don't hesitate to let them know who's boss, okay?" Minako giggled evilly, her eyes glowing with pride and mischief. "Okay, Papa!" Heero smiled at her. "Finish up soon. You want to go see Uncle Wufei and Uncle Trowa, don't you?"

Minako nodded swiftly, her braid bouncing around her back only to fall over her shoulder, and went back to eating her ice cream. She finished it quickly, which didn't surprise Heero in the slightest, and they left the parlor only to head back to the building where Heero worked.

The drive was a short one, and in no time at all Heero was ushering Minako through the halls, up the elevator, and into his office where she let out a joyous scream and ran up to Wufei and Trowa. "Uncle Wuffles! Uncle Tro!" The two men laughed, each hugging the small girl as she turned to them, before sitting her down and asking her what had happened. Heero smirked, chuckling, and set his jacket down on the back of his chair before sitting down and waking his computer up. He listened with half an ear as Minako animatedly retold her story to them, Wufei asking more details about what punches and kicks she used, and Trowa just asking a random question here and there.

It wasn't until a small, warm body collided solidly with his that he gave his attention to Minako. "Papa! Papa!" She cried, trying to get him to look at her. He quirked an eyebrow at her, asking a silent question. Minako settled herself on his lap, her arms around his waist. "Papa, can I work on my homework later? I wanna sit here and watch you work." Removing one arm from the keyboard in front of him, Heero hugged the little girl close to him and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Of course. Let's say that you start working on your homework when you normally would, how about that?" Minako hummed happily, nodding her consent. "Thank you Papa!" She crowed, cuddling down against him and watching his fingers fly across the keyboards.

It was a little awkward, typing around Minako, but the ex-pilot didn't mind too much. It didn't slow him down much at all and it wasn't as if the small girl played with anything while she sat there. He stubbornly ignored the knowing smirks and smug chuckles that floated gently around the spacious office, knowing that anything he said would be promptly ignored.

Comfortable silence quickly took over the office and before Heero knew it, Minako was sleeping against him and he was almost done checking his leads. He snapped out of his work-induced concentration as he heard the door beginning to open, his head snapping up to glare at whoever entered. He faintly noticed Wufei and Trowa doing the same. Their glares, however, were dropped suddenly as they recognized who, exactly, was standing in the doorway with a wide, familiar grin splitting his face.

"Duo!" Trowa exclaimed, Wufei shouting a surprised, "Maxwell!" at the same time. Heero winced, knowing that Minako would be waking up with the sudden commotion. He glanced down at her, missing Duo's stunned look, just in time to see her scrunch up her face and whine. "Wuffles! Tro-man! Long time no see, eh? How've ya been?" Laughed Duo, the American setting his bag down only to envelope both Trowa and Wufei in a tight hug. Trowa laughed, returning the gesture, while Wufei merely sighed and patted his back. Same ol' Duo, obviously.

"And whose fault would that be, Duo? We've been good, though. What about you? Where did you go, anyways? None of us could find a trace of you anywhere!" Replied Trowa, smiling happily.

"Paapaaa, why's it so _loud_?" Whimpered Minako, watery cobalt eyes staring grumpily up at Heero. Heero shushed her gently, cradling her with one arm. "Trowa, Wufei, Duo. Could you be a little quieter? You woke Minako up." Trowa and Wufei instantly winced, shooting apologetic looks to the little girl. "Sorry, Mina-chan. We were just excited because we haven't seen Duo in a long time and he's one of our old friends." Apologized Wufei, Duo blinking in shock and looking back and forth between the two men before him and the man with the young girl not ten feet away. "Mina-chan? Hee-chan has a kid now? Man, what did I _miss_?" Gaped Duo, stunned amethyst eyes wide.

Wufei shook his head, Trowa blinking. "That's right. You weren't here for that. Duo, this is Minako, Heero's daughter. She's a little grumpy right now because we woke her up but she's a sweet girl." He explained, Heero nodding and shaking Minako a little, murmuring almost silently to her. Duo watched curiously, silently noting the bandages on Minako's tiny fists and the Band-Aid on her cheek. "What happened to her?" He asked softly, Wufei smirking with dark pride. "She got into a fight earlier and got suspended from school." He said simply, Duo's head snapping to the side to gape at him. "What?" Wufei's smirk grew, showing teeth now. "She got into a fight. She sent her opponents to the hospital. She got suspended. Do I need to spell it out for you, Maxwell?" Duo gaped for a second before laughing, his arms clutching his gut as he doubled over, gasping breaths escaping him as he howled with laughter. Wufei snickered, Trowa laughing along with Duo, while Heero smirked and Minako focused her eyes on the long trail of honey chestnut hair that was falling over Duo's shoulder and pooling on the ground in a braided clump.

Eyes locked onto the braid, Minako tugged on her father's shirt absently. "Papa…?" Heero made a sound at the back of his throat, acknowledging her. "Papa, what's his name?" She pointed to Duo, her eyes never leaving the braid. Heero glanced down at her, noticing her distant expression and where her eyes were staring, before snorting. "His name is Duo. Why don't you go say hi to him?" Setting her down on her own two feet, Heero watched as Minako slowly made her way up to the still-laughing Duo only to stop roughly a foot away from him and call his name. "Mister Duo?" Duo, tears in his eyes and a bright smile on his face, crouched down and forced out a breathy, "What's up, little miss fighter?" Minako smiled cutely, giggling a little, and pulled her braid over her shoulder as if to show him. "I like your hair, Mister Duo. Long hair is so pretty. One day, my hair is gonna be as long as yours!" She said strongly, nodding her head as if it were a well-known fact.

Duo had the grace to flush very slightly, a gentle smile forming on his lips as he picked up the end of his braid and brushed the loose ends against her nose. Minako erupted into giggles, dropping her own braid as she tried to fend his off. "Is that so? Well, that'll be awesome. You've got pretty hair yourself, ya know." He snickered, relenting as she laughingly pleaded with him to stop. Minako smiled as brightly and widely as she could at him, her eyes shining with laughter and happiness. "Thank you, Mister Duo!" She crowed, gripping his hand and braid with both of her hands. Duo smirked at her, chuckling. "Not a problem, hun. And you can just call me Duo, m'kay?" Duo winked. "Ain't no reason to be callin' me Mister, little miss." Minako giggled, nodding, and released his hand only to jump forward and hug his neck. "Okay Uncle Duo!"

Duo eyes widened in surprise, Wufei, Trowa, and Heero snickering at him, and he quickly moved to hug the small girl back before releasing her. "Hey, Minako! How come Duo's the only one you don't make up a name for? How come he gets to be Uncle Duo while Trowa and I have nicknames?" Snickered Wufei, not meaning anything other than to make Minako laugh. And laugh she did, the little girl hugging Duo's leg before running up to Wufei and leaping up to hug his waist. "Awww, Uncle Wuffles! I have to think up a nickname for Uncle Duo before I can give him one, silly!" She giggled, Wufei catching her mid-jump and pulling her up so that she could smile brightly at him. Duo burst into laughter once more.

"Wuffles? Wuffles! Ahahahaha! I thought I was the only one who called you that, Wuffers!" He gasped, not even noticing Wufei's scowl or Trowa and Heero's laughter at realizing that it was true. Minako laughed along with him. "Ohhhh, man! That's so awesome. Mi-chan, me and you are gonna be great friends. I can already tell." He grinned devilishly, violet eyes flashing with well-known mischief, and all three of the other men groaned worriedly. Minako merely giggled and hopped out of Wufei's arms, walking up to Duo and holding her arms up to him with an evil little grin. Duo matched it readily and scooped her up with one arm so that she sat cradled against his side, her arms dangling from his neck, and they grinned darkly at the others. Wufei dropped his head into his hands, grumbling something about braids and mischief and idiots while Trowa sighed, resigning himself to his fate. Heero, however, draped an arm over his eyes and let his head fall back on the edge of his chair, groaning in defeat. Duo snickered.

"Awww, what's wrong Hee-chan? You aren't _worried_, are ya?" He called, the Japanese man lifting his head and arm just to glare at him. "Baka," he growled out, Minako gasping loudly. "Papa!" She screeched, Duo blinking and Heero wincing. Trowa and Wufei snickered behind their fists, their eyes glowing with humor as they watched the three interact. "You told me I'm not allowed to say that word so you can't say it either!" She admonished strongly, Duo tossing his head back and laughing whole-heartedly while Heero frowned, trying to find a way out of Minako's stubborn, simple logic without sounding clichéd. He gave up after a few seconds of extreme failure and said, "I'm your father; I can say it if I want to. You, however, can't say it until you're older." Minako puffed her cheeks out, scowling in displeasure. Duo, still snickering uncontrollably, shrugged his arm a couple of times, getting the pouting girls' attention. "Ne, Hee-chan, isn't that a double standard? I thought you hated those." He said, Heero scowling at him. "Shut up, braided baka. We're adults so we can say things she's not allowed to say." Both men ignored Minako's shouted, _"PAPA!" _in favor of staring each other in the eye. "You know that's such bull, Heero. You are such a hypocrite. We were saying and doing things ten thousand times worse than baka by the time we were her age. Besides, it's not like idiot is _really_ such a bad word. I mean, really. Idiot? I was cussing by the time I was 5." Said Duo, a light grin on his face while Heero scowled darkly at him. "Which is exactly why I'm so adamant about it. She can say it all when she's older. But right now? It's not going to happen. She knows they're not bad words, just that I don't want her saying them." Heero smirked darkly then, eyes flashing. "My daughter will be a bit more articulate than others her age if I have any say in it." He said smugly, making his old friend toss his head back and laugh again. After he managed to calm his laughter down, Duo strolled over to Heero's side and leaned down to give him a one-armed hug. Heero returned the gesture with an amused snort. "Man, I missed you guys. It's hard to find people with wits to match mine these days." He sighed happily, straightening back up and jostling Minako slightly. "Hey, little miss Mi-chan. Is your dad fun nowadays?" He grinned, snickering as Heero scowled up at him and Minako giggled. "Papa's always been fun, silly Uncle Duo. The only time he's not fun is when he's mad or sad." Here, Minako frowned cutely, looking rightfully bothered by the thought of her father being mad or sad. Duo shook her a little, trying to get her to smile, and said, "So I'm silly still? If you ask your pops, Uncle Wuffles, Uncle Tro, or Uncle Quat-" he glanced quickly at his fellow pilots to make sure he wasn't including someone Minako didn't consider an uncle into the mix, "-they'll tell you that I've always been silly." He grinned at her, Minako giggling and looking to her family for confirmation. Wufei smirked, nodding, and Trowa offered her a smile and a nod. Heero rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Of course you've always been silly. From the very get-go you've been the most outrageous of us all." Wufei jumped in here, cutting Duo off. "You know Heero's right. You've always had a flair for the dramatic. Even more so than Trowa, and he's the one who lived in a circus." Trowa snickered a little, seconding that statement. Duo sighed, admitting defeat. "All we need now is for Quat to call up and add his two cents to this." They all laughed at that and Trowa turned back to his laptop with a grin. "Actually, Quatre told me to call him as soon as Minako got back here. I think he'll be more than happy to see you, too, Duo." A few taps on his keyboard and then he was smirking playfully at his friends.

"Trowa, hello! I take it Minako is there now? How is she? Why did she get in a fight?" Spewed the blond CEO excitedly, Trowa and Duo laughing while the other two men snickered and Minako called out a happy, "Uncle Quat!", still in Duo's arms. Smiling, Trowa prepared to turn to computer so that Quatre could see Duo and Minako, and they him. "Yes, fine, she'll tell you herself. However, there is someone else here that we know you'll be very happy to see." Not wanting to waste any more time, Trowa turned the computer fully and Duo flashed his trademark grin. "Yo, what's up Q-Man! How's life treatin' ya now that you're a big CEO, eh buddy?" Quatre gasped instantly, crying out an ecstatic, "DUO!" before cursing the fact that he wasn't there with them so that he could hug the taller man. Then, suddenly, he scowled at Duo and firmly snapped, "Where the hell have you BEEN you dolt? Do you know how much we all missed you? We spent years trying to find you even though we knew we'd never find you if you didn't want to be found!" Duo shrank back, grinning and chuckling sheepishly. "Ummm…. Here and there? Hey, at least I'm back right? I never planned to be away for so many years anyways. So! You gonna answer my question Q-Man? Or are you just gonna leave me hangin'?" Quatre glowered at him for a few moments more before sighing and smiling at him again.

"Life has been great, minus your previous MIA status. Has Trowa told you anything yet?" Replied the slighter man, Duo looking curiously at Trowa. Trowa smirked ever so slightly, pointing to the laptop. "Nope. He sure hasn't Quat. Why, is there something I should know?" Quatre rolled his eyes heavenward, snorting just a tad, and said, "Yes, there is. If Trowa would stop playing around he could tell you but-" Here, Trowa cut the blond off with a laughing, "But Quatre, it's your turn to tell him. I told Noin last, didn't I?" Quatre sighed. "That's right. It is my turn. Anyways, Duo, my and Trowa have been together for a few years now. It may seem sudden, but I promise you it's not. We've just been keeping it a secret from everyone." Explained the former Gundam pilot, Duo rolling his eyes in a show of smug amusement. "Quat, babe, that's old news. I've known about you two for _years_. Just 'cause I wasn't around for a lot doesn't mean I didn't keep some kind of tabs on you guys. You guys know me better than that." Grinned the Deathscythe pilot, Quatre laughing in response.

"Of course, of course. Why wouldn't you keep a tab on us?" Smiled Quatre, Wufei staring curiously at Duo. "Wait, Maxwell. If you kept tabs on us this entire time then how did you not know about Minako?" He asked, Duo flushing slightly. "We~ll, Wuffles, that would be because Hee-chan here is _ridiculously_ good at keeping info about himself and his life out of any systems that I might have been able to hack into with the shitty computer I had. Unlike Trowa, Quatre, and yourself, I mean." He said, Heero snorting and rolling his eyes. "You mean to say I'm too good for even you to find information on." Duo scoffed in response, leering at Heero. "No, I could have found just about anything if I'd had a better computer but the thing I had was _ancient_ man. Like, dead and gone dinosaur age ancient. I was amazed it even turned on, to be honest with you." He said, eyes widening as if that could help describe the age of the computer.

"Mhm. Right. Believe what you will, Duo. You're just not that good anymore, are you?" Smirked Heero, the former Deathscythe pilot scowling at him. "It's not like you'd know how good I was - and still am - Heero. I kept that info on lockdown." Grinned Duo, winking. The sexual innuendo was not missed by anyone in the room or listening to the conversation and there were several sounds of hands connecting with skin and muffled laughter as Duo smiled widely, Heero staring at him in mild amusement and shock. "I almost can't believe you'd say something like that so easily, almost. But this _is_ you, Duo Maxwell, that we're talking about so I guess anything too crazy for a normal person isn't too crazy for you." Retorted Heero smoothly. Duo just grinned widely, winking, and exclaimed, "I may run and hide but I never tell a lie and I'd be lying if I said that wasn't totally true."

After a moment of pleased grinning, though, he added, "It's not like you guys are all that normal either though, ya know. Considering we all pretty much lived the same lives when we were little." At that no one had a witty comeback. Smiling a little more gently now, Duo looked down at Minako and said, in a firm but joking tone, "Mi-chan, you're not allowed to understand a word of what I was talking about until you're forty, got it?" Minako, for all her sweet nature, rolled her eyes and pushed against Duo lightly. "Uncle Duo, I'm gonna be married when I'm forty. I'm gonna know all kinds of stuff when I'm that old." Duo faked a heart attack, acting like he was going to fall down. "Mi-chan! Don't say that! You're too cute to grow up!" Pulling the tiny girl away from himself and staring at her through wide eyes, he added, "Do you have any idea how many cute kids like you I've had to watch grow up lately? It makes me sad! You're all so adorable and innocent then you grow up and make me feel so _old!_" Here, the room exploded into laughter, Duo somehow managing to maintain his mortified expression while Minako curled in on herself with the force of her laughter, tears in her pretty eyes. Even Quatre, not in the room but watching from the screen, was rocking back in his chair, head tossed and tears falling from closed eyes, laughing harder than he had in years.

"M-Maxwell! You're not that old, you fool! You're what, 22? 23? If you're old, so are the rest of us!" Choked Wufei, Duo shooting him a wink while Minako wasn't able to see. "Yes, but I still _feel_ old after watching so many kids grow up! You would, too, if you'd seen as many as I have!" Just then there was a loud, solid knock on the door to the office, followed by none other than Commander Une's voice calling out, "Maxwell, I told you not to kill them. Don't you ever follow my orders correctly?" Though her voice sounded angry, when she opened the door she had a pleasant smile on her face, looking genuinely pleased about something. Duo snickered, finally dropping his act. "Naw, don't worry Commander. They just need time to get used to me again is all." He flashed a wicked grin to his comrades, all of which returned the grin to some extent. Une shook her head, amused but not willing to really berate the pilots for their cheerfulness at having the last of their own returned to them. "Anyways, I have two reasons for coming down here, both of which concern you, Duo."

Looking almost serious now, Duo gave Une a look that said to explain and after she shut the door, she did. "First off, there's a group of kids wanting to see you down in the lobby. All from the ages of 4 to 8, with a couple older or younger here and there. " Grinning, Duo nudged Minako and said, "Hey, Mi-chan. Do you want to meet some of the kids I've been watching lately?" The bright blue eyes that looked excitedly up at him pretty much answered his question but he waited for her to look to her father for reassurance before giving him a definite answer. "Papa! Can I go with Uncle Duo?" Heero nodded slightly, a light smirk on his face. "Yes. Don't give him any trouble though, okay?" Nodding her assent, Minako beamed at Duo.

"What else, Uney-bunny?" Scowling at the newest nickname, Une lowered her voice a bit before speaking. "Have you figured out your living arrangements while we try to get you an apartment?" Duo frowned slightly then, looking only somewhat put off. "No, not yet. I was having too much fun talking to the guys to think about it." Looking over at his friends, Duo asked, "Hey, could one of you guys lend me a room while Uney-bunny here finds me an apartment?" Quatre was about to offer one of his many rooms when Minako looked straight to her father and said, "Papa, can Uncle Duo stay with us? We have that other room and he could meet Gina! I know she'd love him!" Faced with the threat of Minako being severely disappointed and quite sad, Heero made a slight grimace and nodded quickly. "Sure, why not."

Throwing her arms around Duo's neck, Minako squealed happily. "YAY! You get to come home with us Uncle Duo!" Hugging the excited girl with a grin, Duo shook his head with amusement. "Looks like it, Mi-chan. I just have one question, Heero." Having returned to finishing up his work, Heero barely glanced up from his computer screen. "Hmm?" He hummed, paying only enough attention to understand what was being asked. "You two are okay with cats, right? I don't want to bring Scythe and there be a problem or anything." Minako giggled, Heero chuckled, and Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre all shook their heads, amused smiles on their lips. "What? What am I missing this time?" This time it was Trowa who spoke. "Duo, Gina is their family cat. Unless your Scythe is a tom cat there won't be any problems."

"Man, Heero. I really just need to steal your laptop and hack into your data or something. Find out all the crap I missed while I was out and about. 'Cause _man_, I must've missed a lot." Mused the former Deathscythe pilot, Heero snorting derisively. "You? Steal _my_ laptop? Right. As if that would ever happen." Scowling, Duo scoffed at his friend. "You're forgetting who is the master of stealth here, buddy. If you think I've forgotten even the simplest trick then you're dead wrong." With a roll of his eyes, Duo continued talking. "Anyways, Scythe isn't a tom cat. She's a queen and a da-arn feisty one at that. She likes to hit you when you're not watching." He smirked fondly, thinking of the lean black feline with the scythe-like marking and mischievous emerald eyes.

"So, Duo. You have a cat named Scythe? What does she look like?" Came Quatre's voice, Duo opening his mouth to answer only to be cut off as Une cleared her throat. "Ahem. Duo, you have visitors, remember?" Duo flushes slightly, rubbing the back of his head as he stood, still holding Minako. "Ah, right. Guess we better go see them, eh, Mi-chan?" Looking over his shoulder, Duo grinned at his war buddies. "You guys want to come with? It's pretty much the end of your shifts anyways." He said, eyes flicking to a clock on the wall briefly to make sure he was right.

Trowa shrugged, shutting his computer down after saying his goodbyes to Quatre. "I'll come. I'd like to see these kids you say you've been watching." Wufei shut his computer down and gathered his belongings as well. "I may as well come along too. Yuy?" When they looked over to the Japanese pilot, they were surprised to find him already pulling his jacket on, all of his things packed and ready to go. "Mina-chan, get your stuff together. We're going home after this." Wriggling out of Duo's grasp with deft ease, Minako fluttered around the office for no more than half a minute, gathering her things and shoving them into her bookbag with childish excitement.

Turning to grin at Une, Duo pulled his duffle bag over his shoulder and said, "Well. I guess we're all heading down then." Looking over his shoulder at the little girl that was now heading back over to him, Duo quickly told her, "Mi-chan, I'd hold you but I get the feeling I'm going to get jumped when I get down there so you're just gonna have to pick someone else for now." She blinked for a second then giggled and turned around to head to her dad. "Okay Uncle Duo! Papa?" Heero reached down almost automatically, scooping the small girl up into his arms as he looked to Une. "Are we ready to go?"

After various confirmations, Une spun on her heel and opened the door, leading the way down the hall to the elevators. A few people called out a surprised, "Maxwell!" but the group didn't stop, Duo merely shouting back a jovial, "Hey, how's it goin'!" When the elevator doors shut on the group, Duo raised a brow and looked at his friends. "Who were they and how did they know me?" The question got almost unanimous snickers before Une said, "Duo, everyone here knows who the five Gundam pilots were. They've been doing nothing but trying to get info on you out of us and anyone who's ever met you. They were extremely excited when they heard you'd finally been found."

It was Duo's turn to snicker now and he turned evil eyes to Une. "Uney-bunny, you _do_ realize that all those clues that lead you to me were dropped on _purpose_, right? If I hadn't wanted you to find me, you never would have found a trace of me. Trust me." Une scowled at him for a moment then sighed, accepting the fact. "The other four all told me that as well. Guess you really are the master of stealth, huh, Duo?" Duo winked at Une. "Of course!"

Turning back to the elevator doors, which were beginning to open, Duo quickly located the large group of kids and a huge smile split his face. Dropping his bag by the elevator the braided man briskly walked closer to the group and, with a trademark grin on his face, all but yelled, "Hey, haven't I told you guys not to block the pathways?" The kids immediately began to move, yelling sorry, before realizing who had spoken. With beaming faces, all the kids turned to Duo and ran up to him, tackling him to the ground. "Father Maxwell! We missed you!" They cried almost as one, Duo hugging as many of them back as he could. "I missed you all too, don't worry. And haven't I told you I'm not Father Maxwell? I told you guys you can just call me Duo. We're all friends, aren't we?" Patting some of the kids on the head, Duo tilted his own head back and grinned up at his friends, all of which looked rather amused. Minako was giggling uncontrollably, her face turned into Heero's neck to muffle the sounds.

One by one the kids climbed off of Duo and he was quick to sit up. Mia, one of the older kids, stepped up to him with a small child in her arms and carefully held the three year old out to him. "He's new. He was dropped off yesterday." Taking the kid, Duo smiled gently at him and received a small, hesitant smile in return. "Hey, little fella. I'm Father Duo. Who are you?" The kid worked his mouth, trying to speak, but when no words or sounds came Duo glanced at the girl who had given him to him. "Is he mute?" He mouthed, the girl shrugging in confusion. "Yes, Jake is mute. That's why he was kicked out with me." Snarled a hostile young voice, a boy roughly six years old shoving his way through the crowd and up to Duo. Duo leveled an unimpressed stare at him, now cradling the three year old in his lap. "Are you his brother? And why did you get kicked out?" He asked, tone friendly but firm. Behind him, his fellow pilots and commander watched in surprised silence as the large group of kids sat as close to Duo as they could, some standing up to hug his neck. The older kids stood around, keeping watch almost, while the smallest kids sat closest to Duo.

"I'm Zeke and I got kicked out because my real parents died and the jerks who adopted me didn't really want me. Then they kicked Jake out with me 'cause he wasn't 'perfect', the bastards." Spat Jake's brother, Duo quickly holding up a hand. "First off, little man, I have a few rules. No cussing around the little ones, got it?" Zeke scoffed at him and Duo fixed him with a steady glare. "Got it?" Looking mildly surprised, Zeke nodded. "Second, don't be such a brat. No one is any better than anyone else here, okay? I may have a lot more authority than you but I'm not better than you because of it. Lastly, and this will take a while to become habit, but try to be a little nicer. We're all friends here, yeah? And if you have any problems, just tell me. I'm pretty sure I can help most of the time." He said, finishing with a wink and a smirk that earned him a quick grin and boyish chuckle. Zeke quickly covered up the look with a pretty good scowl and Duo sighed, shaking his head. Ahh, orphans. They were trips, all of them.

"So, guys, how about I introduce you to some of the best friends a guy could ask for? And one of the cutest little girls I've ever had the luck to meet." Cheers rose up around him and, with a chuckle, Duo glanced over his shoulder at the pilots. "Guys, the one with the brown hair and blue eyes is Heero Yuy. The little girl in his arms is Minako Yuy, his daughter, and isn't she just adorable?" The kids all agreed and Duo continued on. "Next to Heero is Trowa Barton. Yes, the tall one with the funny hair. Sorry Trow, you know it's true." Trowa raised his hands and shrugged, a grin on his face as he walked up to the kids and crouched down. "Duo just wishes he could have hair as cool as mine is all." He whispered conspiratorially, Duo scoffing and hitting Trowa's shin lightly. "You wish, Trowa. You wish. Anyways, that's Chang Wufei, or Wuffles as I call him, and he's my other good friend. Quatre's not here right now or I'd introduce him to you guys too. Oh, and the lady over there is Commander Une. She's my boss." Grinning impishly, Duo ignored Une's threatening look. "For a boss she's pretty cool though."

"Father! Father! Are you going to be coming back to the church soon?" Asked one of the many kids, a young boy around the age of six, as he tugged on Duo's sleeve. Duo smiled at him. "Of course I am. Scythe is there, isn't she? I need to get her. We all know what happens when I leave Scythe for too long without a good reason." Chuckled the man, all but the newest kids in the group laughing. Trowa quirked a brow at Duo curiously, silently asking him to elaborate. Duo smirked. "When I leave Scythe for more than a day without a good reason she attacks me on sight for exactly four hours and thirty four minutes when I return, then avoids me like I'm the plague for exactly six hours, fifty nine minutes, and fifty nine seconds. Then she goes back to her normal self." Wufei barked out a surprised laugh, Heero chuckling and Minako laughing. "Uncle Duo, your cat sounds funny." She said, Duo laughing. "She doesn't just sound funny, hun, she is funny. Just wait til ya meet her. She's gonna love you, I can already tell."

"Alright, Duo. Time to clear out. Aren't you the one who told them not to block the pathways? You're all directly in the center." Called Une, the woman smirking at the large group bemusedly. Duo flushed slightly, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Huh, guess I did say that. Well guys, guess it's time to get up and go. How did you guys get here anyways?" Many of the older kids blushed suddenly, one of them looking shyly up to Duo and offering him a shy smile. "We, um, kinda walked over here when the Sister's weren't looking…" Duo almost yelled out a shocked and angry, "What!" but instead just opened his mouth, a slightly impressed look on his face.

Hiding the smile attempting to break free with his head, Duo looked over at Heero, Wufei, Trowa, and Une only to see them all smirking and or shaking their heads. Wufei shot him a look, daring him to berate the children for anything. Duo shook his head minutely, knowing he couldn't say anything about it. "Ah, well, next time you guys come visit me, bring one of the Sister's with you, okay? I'll take all of ya back tonight if Heero doesn't mind…?" Heero was wholly unprepared for the sudden unison turning of all fifteen of the children's heads towards him, nor for the pleading look in all of their eyes.

"Ah…" Not even Minako, with her perfect little grasp on him, could have prepared him for the wave of attention he was receiving. "Will you please let Father Duo take us back home, Mister Heero?" Blinking, Heero looked down at Minako, then up to Duo, who smirked at him and clapped his hands once. "Alright, now, you guys. Don't put so much pressure on my poor buddy. I just want to ma-" Blaring rock music cut Duo's words off, the braided man making a face before digging into his pocket and pulling out a sleek black cell phone and flipping it open. He took a few long steps away from the children. Pressing it to his ear he growled in a none-too-nice voice, "What do you want this time?" With his back turned to all of his friends, none of them could see his expressions but after fighting beside him in a war the other pilots didn't need to see his face to tell he was angry. The lack of fluid motions from the normally feline-graced man shouted about his anger and the tenseness of his shoulders told of worry that the man would hide when he turned back around.

The call ended quickly and, despite his attempt not to slam his phone shut, Duo snapped it closed with a sharp sound before slowly, tensely sliding it back into his pocket. Taking a moment to compose himself, Duo turned around and gave everyone a smile. "Well! Since it's getting late, I'd rather not walk all of you back to the church. Perhaps Une could lend me a van so I could drive you all back…?" He said, Une and the pilots not missing the sharp, dangerous look in Duo's eyes. Luckily, the kids were all blissfully oblivious and Une nodded sharply. "Of course. With that many children it'd be foolish and cruel to make you walk them all back. " Turning sharply on her heel, Une began leading the way to the garage, Duo motioning for the kids to follow her while he hung back with Heero, Wufei, and Trowa. Setting Minako on the ground and telling her to go tell Une about her day, Heero shot Duo a curious look and nodded slightly to his pocket. Duo sighed.

Dropping back a bit more but keeping a keen eye on his charges, Duo ground out a furious, "I've been hanging around their church for more than just helping with the kids. The church itself is being harassed by a nasty group of people with friends in high and low places. I've been working for the past two and a half years to protect the church and all the kids but I can't always be there. The group hasn't done anything to the kids yet but they've made some subtle threats to do things that should never happen, whether it be to a child or a fully grown person." Sighing, Duo ran a strong hand through his already messy bangs and let his shoulders droop a little. "I just got a call from one of the higher ups in the group -and no, I didn't give them my number- and they know that I have these fifteen with me and that I'm not at the church. I'm worried that they're going to attack it while I'm not there. They already made it clear that if I walk these kids home, nothing good will happen." Looking over at his friends, Duo was almost surprised to see the looks of pure rage on all of their faces.

"What information do you have on them, Duo?" Asked Heero tersely, Duo reciting the little bit he knew. "Like I said earlier, if I had had a better computer I could have gotten all the dirt in the world on them but the only one I had wasn't worth shit. Give me one of your computers and two hours and I'll have more dirt on them than all the dirt in any desert." He added, Heero nodding sharply. "Trowa, do you think Quatre would mind letting the kids stay at one of his mansions while we take care of this group?" Trowa shook his head quickly. "After hearing what Duo has to say, Quatre will be all but dying to help. Besides, they'd only be safer in maybe your house, Heero. I'm sure Rashid and the other Maguanac's wouldn't mind helping either." Duo gave them grateful smiles before blinking when Wufei clapped a hand onto his shoulder. "You can count me in, as well, Maxwell. I refuse to stand by while those bastards try to get away with such injustice." Duo reached up and squeezed Wufei's hand thankfully, a small smile on his face. "Thanks, man."

Now inside the garage, Duo gave more of his attention to the shadows and making sure there was nothing he had to worry about in them. Une was still in the lead, Minako trotting alongside her and telling her about her fight earlier in the day. Duo's kids were being carefully watched by all four pilots, all of which had spread out to form more of a half circle around them. Trowa and Wufei walked on the left or right of the group with Heero and Duo bringing up the rear corners.

When Une stopped next to a large black van with the Preventer's logo on the sides and hood, Duo caught Heero's wrist and stopped him a few feet back, eyes carefully watching the children. "Du-" Heero's attempt to speak was stopped as Duo abruptly cut him off. "I'd really like to not bring you into this mess, Heero. These guys, they'll stop at nothing to get to one of us. I don't want to put Minako in danger like that. Lord knows we all can take care of ourselves, but Minako's just a child. She's a fighter, I know, but she can only do so much to save herself." Heero's eyes flashed dangerously and, had that hatred and rage been directed at Duo, Duo would have flinched and hightailed it out of there. As it was, Duo looking pleadingly at Heero. "Please, Heero. I don't want to lose any children to them. Especially not Minako." Heero glared darkly at Duo, fury clear in his eyes. "Are you saying that I can't protect my own daughter, Duo?" He asked lowly, coldly. Duo shook his head. "Of course not! I _know_ you can protect her better than anyone. But, Heero, you haven't been dealing with them for two years. These guys are smart, powerful, and ruthless. They'll take the first chance they can to steal her. The first time they see her without you or one of us, she'll be snatched up and I can't say for sure if we'll ever see her again." At his quiet but impassioned words fear took up some space in Heero's eyes, pushing some of the anger out and cooling the man's thoughts.

"Not Minako," He said softly, not liking the idea of losing the little girl at all. Arms crossing over his chest, Heero started thinking aloud, just barely mumbling his words so that Duo could understand but no one else could. "I can't just take her out of school, though. I want to help; I can't stand _not _helping though. Temporary home-schooling? Or perhaps tell the school she's going on vaca- no, I couldn't keep her out for that long. Fine." Heero nodded sharply, looking up from where he was staring a hole into the ground to lock gazes with Duo. "Minako will just have to finish this year of school in home-school. I'd like to keep her in public school but I'm not going to put her at risk like that." The hopeful look that had been on Duo's face was replaced with a look of incredulity before being taken over by a sort of shocked and amused expression. "You've made up your mind on this, then. No changing your mind when you've decided to do something. Well, whatever I guess. At least I'll be there to help keep watch over her too."

By now all of the kids were settled carefully into the large van, Wufei and Trowa standing beside the open door and talking quietly to them. Une was looking at Heero and Duo expectantly and Duo instantly flashed her a grin, making her sigh. She held her hand out, palm up. "Here, Duo. The key. You don't have to bring the van back immediately but don't keep it for too long, either." Taking the key, Duo smiled thankfully at Une. "Got it. Thanks for the help, Une." She nodded at him and left, Duo turning to take in his friends. Minako wrapped herself around one of his legs, smiling up at him happily.

"So! I know what I'm doing before anything else. You guys?" Duo dropped a hand onto her head, ruffling her hair for a moment, before picking her up and hugging her to him tightly. The thought of putting the small, adorable little girl in danger left a bad taste in his mouth and it was all he could do not to cringe. He had barely known her for a couple of hours and already she had him wrapped around her tiny little finger.

Gently, he dropped a soft kiss onto the crown of her head and handed her off to her father as Trowa began speaking. "I'd love to escort you to the church but I need to get to Quatre and let him know what's going on so he can start getting things prepared. How many children are there in total? And do you want any of the Sister's or the Father coming with?" Duo waved a dismissive hand. "That's fine, Trow. There are twenty eight children in total, most between the ages of three and eight. There are a couple that are getting close to the teen years and a few more that are just infants. And if the Sisters and Father could go too that'd be great." Trowa nodded and gave them all a nod before heading to his car, pulling his phone out along the way.

Duo shifted his glance over to Wufei, the Chinese man regarding him calmly. "I'm going with you to the church." He said and Duo nodded. "I'll just follow you in my car." He added. "Cool. And I guess you're coming with as well, Heero?" Heero nodded, smirking lightly. "Where else would I go?" He shot back, Duo's somber mood breaking as he grinned. "Yeah, yeah. Go get in your cars, you dolts. We've got a lot of kids trying to stay up past their bedtimes right now." Wufei shut the door to the van and left for his car a few vehicles down the line quickly. Heading around the van to the driver's side door, Duo raised a brow at Heero. "Aren't you going to go get in your car and follow?" Heero nodded, an odd little smirk on his face. "I am. But Minako wants to ride with you if she can." Minako turned a pleading face to Duo almost as if on cue, the braided man flinching comically for a second before sighing and holding his arms out for the girl. "Alright, alright. I can't say no to you, can I Mi-chan?" He asked lightly, the child all but leaping from her father's arms into Duo's.

Thin arms wrapped around his neck, Minako giggled up at him and shook her head. "Nope! Just like how Papa can't say no to me." She crowed, shooting her father a knowing look. Heero just rolled his eyes and walked away, headed for his car. "I'll see you at the church." He called over his shoulder, Duo shaking his head and climbing into the van. Setting Minako down in the passenger seat, he buckled her in before buckling himself in and adjusting the mirrors as he saw fit.

Turning the vehicle on, Duo shot a smile back at the kids before shifting the van into reverse and pulling out of the parking spot. In front of him he saw two cars side by side, each on and waiting patiently for him to pass. As he did, they pulled out of their spots one by one and followed him out onto the main road, easily staying on his tail as he led the way to the church.

Duo was quick to turn the radio on to a local rock station and, with his fingers drumming the steering wheel, he sang along with most of the songs, offering entertainment for all of the kids in the van.

While the drive to the church was a fairly short one, it was tense and filled with many turns and stops. Once there, however, a slight sense of relief washed over those aware of the situation. All the lights in the church were on and the Father, three Sister's, and other children all stood just within the chapel doors.

Parking close to the enclosed church grounds, Duo climbed out of the van and waited until Heero and Wufei were doing the same before opening the door closest to the gate. "Alright, guys. We're back at the church now. I want you all in single file, got it? Oldest at the front and end and youngest in the center." One by one the children exited the van, all of them following Duo's orders without question. He smiled at them, then over his shoulder at Minako as she climbed onto his back.

He pulled her around to his front as he started for the church gates, all of the children starting to walk as well. Wufei took up the rear of the group and Heero the right side, Duo leading in the left front. "Hey, Father. Here are your children. They decided to come visit me at work, sorry." Called Duo, the Father shaking his head with a gentle smile. "It's no problem, Duo. As long as they come back safely I don't mind them going out." He replied, Duo barely giving him a tense smile in response.

Reaching the church doors, Duo and the Father stepped aside to let the kids file in, all of them instantly being scolded by the Sisters. Duo was quick to speak up. "Now, now, Sisters. Don't be so hard on them. I hadn't been by in a few days; they missed me. If anything, yell at me for not coming by sooner." He said, the women glaring at him for a second before sighing and shaking their heads with light chuckles. "Oh, Duo, how do you expect us to be mad at you when you do so much for us?" Said one of them, a kindly older woman with a powerful motherly look about her. Duo shrugged, grinning at her, and said, "Dunno, but it's happened a lot before so it's not like it'd be something new to me." Tsking lightly, the women turned back to the children and began herding them towards one of the doors at the front of the church. Duo shook his head. "Sister Maria?" He called, the motherly woman turning to look at him again. "Yes, dear?" She asked, tone curious. "Don't take the children back yet. I have a close friend who is willing to put them - and most likely you all as well - up until I can get the hounds off of here. I don't know if we're moving you all tonight or tomorrow, but it'd be a waste to put them to bed now only to wake them in an hour or so to move them elsewhere."

Sister Maria stared at him for a second before nodding and steering the children towards another door. "Very well. We'll wait with the children in here, then. You boys can talk all you need to." She said, opening the door to a spacious office and leading all the children inside. The other two Sisters followed in afterwards, shutting the door behind them.

"Duo?" The braided man responded instantly to his name, turning to give the Father a tired smile. He handed Minako over to her father when she began to yawn, the little girl instantly curling into his chest and slipping into a light doze. "Father Birch, I'd like to introduce you to pilot zero-one and pilot zero-five, Heero Yuy and Chang Wufei. They're two of the Gundam pilots and two of my closest friends." He said softly, motioning to each man as he announced them. Father Birch blinked before giving each man a slight bow. "Thank you for freeing us all and God bless your souls. The burden you all were given was a terrible one, but I'm glad to see that you both survived it as well as Duo." Turning to Duo, the man raised a curious brow. "Is the friend taking us in also a Gundam pilot?" He asked, a somewhat cheeky tone in his voice. Duo grinned widely, scratching the tip of his nose. "A-yup! You're all going to meet pilot zero-three and pilot zero-four, Trowa Barton and Quatre Raberba Winner, soon. Quatre will probably be tripping over himself to get his home ready as soon as possible." He chuckled, humor coloring his voice.

"As much as I'd like to deny that, we all know I can't." Came Quatre's voice suddenly, Duo whirling around with a shocked look on his face. "And I only wish I could see your face right now, Duo. I know you must look shocked." A light laugh followed the words and Duo's eyes narrowed, focusing in on the cell phone in Heero's hand. He was smirking smugly, a horribly amused look on his face. "Anyways, my home is almost ready for all of the children and the Sisters and Father. I've got a limo coming to pick everyone up, too. Rashid is driving and Abdul is riding with. Trowa told me all he knows already, too, but I'd like to hear what you know about them face-to-face Duo. Maybe over lunch tomorrow?" As much as he wanted to scowl, Duo found he couldn't and, with a laugh, he said, "Yeah, sure. Lunch tomorrow is fine but we might want to do it at the office. Don't want the hounds to know what all I know, right? Takes away one of my advantages." The grin on his lips was nothing short of wicked and over the phone Quatre laughed, agreeing readily. "Well, I'll see most of you soon, then. Rashid should be there any second now, by the way. Bye!" With that said, Quatre hung up and Heero pocketed his phone.

Headlights were slowly lighting up the large church grounds, the low sound of a well-cared for engine just barely loud enough to be heard inside the church. Duo smirked when he recognized it as a limousine, and turned halfway to the doors that hid the children. "Well, as I'm sure that's Rashid, I'll go get Sister Maria and the children." Taking off at a light, soundless jog Duo quickly made his way up to the door, trailing braid waving from side to side with each step. Reaching the door, he pulled it open and smiled at all of the sleepy-eyed children and curious-gazed Sisters. "Your ride to my friend's house is here, so come on. Let's get you all someplace nice." He said, grabbing a couple of stumbling youngsters and hoisting them up to rest against his torso.

Leading the way down the center aisle, Duo shot Rashid a grin as the man walked into the church. "Ah, if it isn't Duo! How are you, my friend?" Said the man, Duo grinning up at him and walking past as he answered. "I'm pretty good, actually. Yourself?" Duo didn't have to say anything about the children for Rashid to scoop four of the smaller ones up and carry them out to the limousine. "I am good, thank you. I take it the kids are not to know what's going on just yet?" He replied, Duo nodding. He waited until Sister Anna had climbed into the long car before passing his load in. She took them as they came, setting them carefully on the seats.

"Right. For now they're just going to meet a friend of Duo's." Said Duo carefully, stepping back when Sister Maria tapped him on the shoulder. She had an amused look on her face. "Duo, you might want to prepare yourself. Scythe has woken from all the noise and is no doubt close to learning about your being here." Duo grimaced, Sister Maria laughing, and sighed, preparing himself for the unavoidable attack. "Thanks for the heads up, Sister. Are all the kids in the limo now? Got everything they need for the night?" Nodding to the various stuffed animals and blankets and pillows in her arms, Sister Maria nodded. "Yes. One of us or you can always come back if we need to get anything else from here but for tonight we should be fine." She said. Duo looked over her shoulder when a swift flash of black appeared and quickly tensed, moving away from the Sister.

Not a second after he stopped a growling mass of black was attached to his leg, claws sunk deep into taut muscles and hackles raised threateningly. Gritting his teeth, Duo reached down and grabbed Scythe by her scruff, peeling her sharp claws from his leg before hoisting her up in the air. "You, Scythe, are a little shit as always." He cooed in greeting, the cat hissing at him and swatting at his face. Duo grinned widely, and after gripping her paws in both of his hands, he pulled her back against his torso and carried her over to the van. He stopped when Heero shook his head and motioned to his car then shrugged and carried her over to the open passenger side door.

Carefully setting the lean black cat down on the seat, Duo stroked her head with his free hand and winced slightly when she bit his finger suddenly. She wasn't trying to break the skin, though, and so that pain faded quickly. "Sorry I was gone for so long, girl. I had some really important things to take care of though and I didn't want to bring any more trouble back over here. Forgive me?" Blank emerald eyes stared at him for a second before blinking and turning away, hopping into the back seat to sniff around. Duo snorted, rising to his feet and looking over to his friends. Apparently his reason for being gone was adequate enough for her.

Scanning the area impulsively, he was pleased to note that all of the children and Sisters were in the limo, with Father Birch standing outside the doors and talking to Rashid, Heero, and Wufei. There was also nothing out of place or unusual around, much to his relief. Keeping his ears and eyes open and body ready for action, he trotted to his friends just in time to catch Father Birch thanking them all for their help. He smiled at Duo as he reached them, the smile of a kind, understanding man. "And thank you, young Father Duo, for all the help you've given us. We'd be ruined without you." Duo flushed slightly before waving it off, grinning crookedly at the man. "Don't mention it, Father. I just can't stand bullies like them, ya know? Now, c'mon. Into the limo with you so you all can get a good night's rest." The friendly order was accompanied by humorous shooing motions and Father Birch laughed before following the given orders.

When he was in the limo and Rashid was climbing into the driver's seat, Abdul turned back to talk to their passengers, Duo placed a trusting hand on Rashid's shoulder and quietly said, "Be on the lookout for _anything_ suspicious. Even if they don't look like anything, be wary. These guys are _good_." Rashid stared at him for a moment before nodding seriously, his eyes keen and aware. "I will, my friend. Master Quatre and we Maguanac's will do all we can to keep them safe." Came the reassuring rumble, Duo giving him a tired but comfortable smile and moving on to Heero's car. Minako was in the backseat, buckled in and leaning asleep against the locked door with Scythe happily curled up in her lap, her long black tail curled around one thin arm. Duo shook his head amusedly and turned his attention to Heero, the man standing beside the driver side door and watching him. Wufei gave them both a nod and climbed into his car, following the limo out as it left. He and Heero had already decided that he would make sure nothing happened on the way to Quatre's house. "Ready?" Duo gave Heero a tired grin and climbed into the car, buckling his seatbelt as he sat. Heero followed his example and turned the car on when he was settled. Duo instantly took control of the radio and changed it to a local rock station. He kept the music low so as not to wake Minako and leaned back in his seat, his head tilted back against the headrest and eyes closed.

God, he was tired. The constant lack of deep sleep and endless worry and anger had caught up to him at least a week before he'd allowed Une to 'find' him but his fear of being caught off-guard had kept him going, kept him awake and alert through the long nights when he was most worried about an attack. Tired as he was, he didn't realize that he had drifted into a light doze for almost half an hour until the car suddenly stopped moving, turning off after a few seconds and a couple of light clicks.

Cracking his eyes open, he automatically glanced around, taking in the quiet neighborhood and pretty two-story house before him. It had a two-car garage, but Heero hadn't bothered to use it for his car apparently. The front porch had white wooden beams and a white three-foot high fence around it, broken only by six feet of open room where the red brick steps led up to the similar porch floor. A tall oak door with a peephole that was viewable between the main beams supporting the porch roof, and a window on either side of the door, was surrounded by off-white faux wood panels. There were four windows on the second floor facing the street, one small one above the garage, another obviously a bedroom by the curtains hanging over them, then one that was probably a bathroom window between the curtained window and one that had thin, almost see-through curtains on it. In the darkness of the night it was hard to tell the specific colors of everything but he had a feeling the largest window - the one with the long curtains - had purple curtains.

Calmed by his knowledge, he looked over at Heero and saw him quietly getting out of his car and walking around to where Minako lay, sleeping peacefully against the door. Duo clicked his tongue, calling Scythe to him, as Heero opened the door. The sleek black cat glared up at Heero, then Duo, for a second before climbing off of Minako and hopping up front and around Duo's neck, underneath his braid. Her tail curled comfortingly around his neck, a light purr starting up despite the queen's normally ornery attitude. As Duo climbed out of the car, Heero pulled Minako out and cradled her against his side before reaching for the three bags he had grabbed without Duo's knowledge.

Snatching them up before Heero could, along with his own bag -which he was assuming Heero had grabbed from the van while he wasn't looking-, Duo smirked at Heero and nodded to the house. "I've got these; let's just get inside." He said quietly, Heero nodding in agreement and leading the way up to the front door. He unlocked it easily and walked in, Duo following and shutting and locking it behind him. He looked around the small room they were in, automatically noting the doorway to what appeared to be an unused dining room, the hallway that lead to a living room and possibly a kitchen, and another hallway that lead to a flight of stairs. Everything, minus the little receiving room he appeared to be in, was carpeted in a plush light cream colored carpet. Currently he was on polished hardwood and, from the looks of it, was supposed to be taking his shoes off.

Following Heero's example, he set the bags down and unlaced his boots quickly and efficiently, setting them off to the side where Heero had set his. Scythe took the chance to eye the fluffy white cat at the top of the stairs, but otherwise didn't disturb Duo. "Nice place you got here, Hee-chan," he said as he stood, the bags coming up with him. Heero just glanced at him, a light smirk on his face, as he finished removing Minako's shoes and set them aside. "I know." Duo laughed quietly, not wanting to wake Minako, and just pushed his friend lightly with his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Brag later; we're all tired right now." Nodding, Heero lead the way to the stairs and up them, then into Minako's room. Duo stood in the doorway as Heero peeled back Minako's covers and gently set her down in the middle of the massive mattress. He pulled the covers back over her before sitting on them and leaning towards her to press a soft kiss to her cheek. Duo stepped back into the hallway and made his way down it blindly, looking for the guest bedroom. He couldn't stand there and watch that, he felt like he was intruding on some special ritual or something. Something he had no right to be apart of, let alone witness.

He stopped when Scythe mewled quietly, eyes locked on something at his feet. Looking down, Duo finally noticed the fluffy white cat with the expressive green eyes and he smiled at her. She meowed politely and rubbed her cheek against his hand when he leaned down to pet her. She meowed again then turned around and trotted down the hall only to stop in front of one room, her head turning back to look at him and meow once more. Following her, Duo pushed the door open slowly and smiled when he realized she had led him to the guest bedroom. "Thanks, girl," He said softly, pushing the door open completely and stepping into the room. He set the bags that didn't belong to him down by the door and tossed his onto the comfy-looking queen mattress with the dark blue sheets and pillow cases. The carpet was the same cream color as the rest that he had seen and the walls were a warm tan color. By the door and across the room from the bed was a sleek oak dresser about four feet tall and six feet long. It took up most of the wall. On the left of the room, farther from the door, was the large window with thin curtains that Duo had seen from outside. Against the wall opposite the dresser and close to the window was a matching oak computer desk and comfortable dark blue chair. Next to the bed, on the right side of the room, was a matching bedside table with a lamp and alarm clock on it. Farther along that side of the room was a sliding door, which proved to be a closet once Duo had pulled it open.

Smiling and nodding in appreciative acceptance, Duo turned around only to quickly yank his gun out from where it was hidden, just barely able to keep it on the ground and the safety on. Body tense and eyes wide, Duo slowly set his gun down onto the bedside table and gave Heero a withering glare. "Jesus, Heero! Don't walk up on me like that, okay? Yeesh, I could've shot you!" Heero stared at him for a moment, looking mildly amused as he said, "Again?" with a slight tilt of his head. Duo just gave him a look before sighing and shaking his head, a short chuckle making its way past his lips. "Yes, again." Heero merely shrugged and nodded down the way he had came. "Minako wants you." Looking down at his cat, Heero picked up the pleasant white fluffball and stroked her silky fur. "She asked for you, too, Gina." Gina mewled sweetly, looking over at Duo and Scythe before blinking up at her owner. Heero just rolled his eyes and lead the way down to Minako's room with Duo trailing close behind.

He stepped aside at her doorway, motioning for Duo to enter while releasing Gina to do as she pleased. The feline quickly hopped out of his arms and over to Minako, leaping gracefully onto the bed and curling up against her back, which was facing her window. Following the cat, Duo carefully sat down on the side of the little chocolate-haired child and smiled at her. She smiled sleepily back up at him, just barely awake. "G'night Uncle Duo," she murmured, sweet voice almost silent. Duo brushed her bangs away and kissed her forehead affectionately. "Goodnight little miss Mi-chan, sleep well. I'll see you in the morning." She smiled happily and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep almost instantly. Duo smiled and made a move to stand before he noticed that her hair was still braided and mentally winced. Sleeping with a braid that long was a bad idea, something he knew personally. The tangles it got were absolutely horrible.

Reaching for it, he carefully picked it up and, with deft fingers, pulled the ribbon out and unbraided the silken locks in seconds. Brushing it out lightly with his fingers, he let it fan out over her pillows and covers before placing another kiss on her cheek and rising. Turning, he found Heero leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and a soft, small smile on his lips. The gentle look of adoration that was focused on Minako didn't go unnoticed by Duo, and he smiled a little as he walked up to his friend. "Sleep, Hee-chan. We both need it." Placing a hand on the Asian man's shoulder, Duo lightly pushed him around and down the hall. Heero didn't fight and Duo let his hand drop after a moment. They stopped walking outside Duo's room, Heeros' just a few feet across the hall. "Goodnight Heero. Thanks for letting me stay." Heero shook his head and, placing a hand on Duo's shoulder like the man had done to him, squeezed carefully. "Don't think about it. Get some sleep; we can dig up information on our enemies in the morning." Smirking teasingly, Heero said, "I may even let you use my laptop." Tired as he was, Duo couldn't help but laugh and give his old friend a wide, traditional Maxwell grin. "Maybe I'll just steal it from you when you're not looking." He teased back, Heero's smirk easing into a slight smile. "We'll see. Goodnight, Duo." With that said, Heero crossed the hall and disappeared into his bedroom, Duo shaking his head with a chuckle and doing the same.

Five AM rolled around later than Duo expected and when he rolled out of his comfortable cocoon of dark blue comforters and sheets he was only mildly surprised by how refreshed he felt. He hadn't slept that well in months, easily. Maybe even years. Not without drugs, that was. But he didn't like drugs, and he especially didn't like how it took his control from him. Stretching languidly, he grabbed his brush and black hair band and did a quick brush-through before pulling his hair back into a lazy ponytail and heading over to his door. Opening it, he was unsurprised to hear the sound of a shower going and was almost certain that it was Heero.

Quietly he made his way down the hallway and peeked into Minako's room, smiling when he saw not only Gina curled up against her but Scythe as well. The black cat was on Minako's right side, curled up close to her head with her tail stretched out to lie softly over her throat. Both cats looked over at him after he'd been there for a moment, green eyes glowing eerily in the darkness of the room. Duo smiled at them and left Minako's room, heading downstairs to explore a little. With any luck he could find the kitchen and maybe get some coffee made. Just the thought of the delicious beverage made him move quicker, almost trotting when he was on the first floor.

He paused for a moment, deciding between trying the dining room or living room. Shrugging, he headed towards the living room and was surprised when he saw not only the massive room but also the dark-tiled floors of the large, clean kitchen. Black granite counters and darkly-painted wood cabinets, along with a silver refrigerator, sink, stove, and dishwasher, made the spacious room quite appealing aesthetically.

Grinning, Duo stepped onto the tiled floor and winced comically at how cold they were before trudging on anyways, headed for the coffee maker he could see. Looking for the coffee on the counters, Duo turned to the cabinets when he couldn't find it only to pout. Where the hell did Heero keep his coffee? He was about to start looking again when an amused chuckle sounded behind him and he glanced over his shoulder, seeing Heero there with damp hair and his Preventers uniform on, but obviously not ready. His shirt had yet to be tucked in and his jacket was tossed unceremoniously onto the counter. His belt was just barely buckled and he had socks on; a thing Duo realized he had kicked off while he slept. "Looking for the coffee?" Chuckled the man, Duo nodding with a pout. "Yeah, I can't find it anywhere. Where the hell do you keep it, man?" He asked, Heero stepping up beside him to open the cabinet directly above the coffee maker. Reaching up, his hand disappeared into the third shelf and moved a few cans around before pulling out the tub of coffee. Duo's eyes lit up happily and he took the coffee from Heero's hand only to set it up in the coffee machine while Heero fetched two mugs and the milk and sugar.

"Why do you keep it way up there?" Asked Duo while the coffee brewed, taking a deep breath when the scent started becoming strong and releasing it in a pleased sigh. Ahhh, what a wonderful smell. "Minako got ahold of it once and tried to make coffee. It turned out to be sludge. Then Gina got into it once and made herself sick so we had to take her to the vets. I figure it's just easier to keep it out of their sight now." He said, Duo snickering and shaking his head in amusement. It must've been a sight, walking in on Minako attempting to make coffee. The few times kids at the church got into it always had Duo clutching his gut with laughter, especially if they tried to drink it. "I don't blame you for that. It's happened a few times at the church too. Man, the looks on their faces as they try the sludge is hilarious." Remembering their faces, Duo laughed and tried hard to keep it somewhat quiet so as to not rouse Minako. Heero chuckled heartily, recalling Minako's own expression with fond amusement. She had looked so utterly disgusted, so sick, that he hadn't been able to do anything but laugh loud and hard as she blanched and quickly dropped the mug into the sink, not even bothering to turn on the faucet as she gagged dramatically then turned to him with the most confused look ever and all but yelled, "How can you _drink_ that stuff? It's _disgusting!_" It had been one of the funniest moments ever in their entire time together. He hadn't been able to stop laughing and when he told Wufei, Trowa and Quatre about it they had laughed as well and told him he should have recorded it. He almost wished he'd recorded it, himself.

"Anyways! What's your routine here? I don't wanna mess up your morning rotation, ya know?" Grinned Duo, Heero pouring their cups of coffee and stepping back while Duo put his milk and sugar in it. Jeez, there was enough sugar in that one 8 ounce cup of coffee to make an entire huge batch of cookies. Taking a sip of his coffee, Heero leaned against the counter opposite from Duo, closer to the sink, and replied. "Normally I get up, get a shower, make coffee when I get down here, then get everything ready for work and, normally, school for Minako. I tend to get breakfast planned out in this time, too. Then I wake Minako and get her clothes out for her and when she's dressed she comes down here and we eat breakfast. Then off to work and school for us after our shoes and jackets are on." Loaded cup of coffee in his hands, Duo raised his brow at Heero for a second before chuckling and shaking his head. "I should've know you'd make the most out of what time you have." He sighed dramatically, as if it was horrible that Heero were still so determined to use his every second to his advantage. "Want me to do anything? I can cook breakfast if you want to go wake Mi-chan up. Or I can go wake her up. Just let me know what I need to do and it'll get done." He offered, Heero letting his cup hover before his lips for a moment while he thought. After taking a pleasant gulp, he nodded at Duo and started for the refrigerator.

"You can go wake Minako up. She's not much of a morning person at first so you have to be gentle with her. She responds well to soft tones and low volume." Said the wild haired man as he dug around the 'fridge. Nodding and slowly doing a number on his coffee, Duo exited the kitchen and made his way upstairs and into Minako's room. It was almost exactly the same as it had been the night before, with the only real difference being that Scythe was now in Minako's bed and curled up close to her head, as she had been when he peeked in earlier.

As he walked in, both Scythe and Gina lifted their heads to blink at him. Scythe, after gently nuzzling Minako's soft cheek, rose and stretched while Duo neared. When he sat down carefully on the side of Minako's bed, she hopped up onto his shoulders and worked her way to lie across his shoulders, under his hair, with her tail wrapped delicately around his neck. Duo didn't pay her any mind, instead leaning down to give Minako an affectionate kiss on her cheek and whisper, "Mi-chan, time to wake up." She moaned sleepily, burrowing deeper into her blankets, and Duo just quirked a soft smile and pushed on her shoulder a little. "Come on Mi-chan. You gotta get dressed so you can go to work with Papa and I." At his words, her eyes cracked open a little and peered up at him, sleepy and innocent. He smiled pleasantly, the coffee in his system working alongside his natural energy to make him seem almost like an energizer bunny. "Do I have to Uncle Duo?" She pleaded softly, Duo smiling down at her and stroking her hair. "Yes, babe. C'mon, let's get you up and moving. Your dad is cooking breakfast downstairs right now, I think." She stared at him for a moment longer before nodding and sitting up, rubbing at her eyes sleepily. Duo smiled brightly, ruffling her already-mussed bangs, and got up off of her bed to figure out what drawer held what in her dresser.

Sifting through everything, Duo quickly realized that everything was folded neatly and organized quite well. No doubt courtesy of Heero. "Anything you want to wear in particular today Mi-chan?" He called over his shoulder, eyeing a cute black dress with purple ribbons on the back. "Ummm, I dunno. Something cute?" Pulling the dress out, Duo held it up for Minako to see. "How about this? It'd look really cute on you." She looked over at him with slowly wakening eyes and nodded happily, climbing out of her massive bed. "Uh huh! I like it!" Duo smiled and set it on top of the dresser before looking around in the other drawers. "Alright then. Let's see if we can't find anything to go with it, ne?" Pulling one of the bottom drawers out, Duo was pleased to find socks and stockings and clean panties. He gave her a pair of panties before searching through the stockings. He made a pleased sound at the back of his throat as he found a pair of knee-high black stockings with little purple ribbons on the outer side of each leg.

He set those out with the dress as well.

"Hey, Mi-chan. Where are your shoes?" Already putting the dress on, Minako pointed to her closet and said, "On the floor in there. Papa keeps them all nice and neat." Moving over to the closet, Duo opened one of the doors and was surprised by the amount of shoes in it. There were at least ten different pairs, and that was just from a quick glance. Looking around, he found there to be closer to the upper teens in shoes. Shaking his head, he began searching for a pair that would match Minako's dress.

It took a few long moments but he found a pair of cute black knee-high boots with small heels that laced up the front. Unsurprisingly, the laces were a pretty violet color. Grabbing them, Duo shut the closet door and turned only to find Minako dressed completely and struggling a little with her hair.

"Want some help, Mi-chan?" He asked, humor coloring his voice. Minako glanced at him before nodding. "Yes please. Can you braid it?" Walking up to the small girl, Duo knelt down behind her and took her brush, carefully running it through from the bottom up and removing all the knots and tangles as gently as possible. "Of course I can. I'll even make it all cute for you, okay?" Yawning, Minako hummed a sleepy agreement and leaned against her dresser as Duo worked on her hair.

It only took a few minutes for Duo's deft and trained fingers, but by the time he was done with Minako's hair it looked utterly adorable. He had left her bangs alone, letting them stay out and frame her adorable face, and had used a couple of purple butterfly bobby pins to pull some of her hair back into a thin braid around her head that merged into one to trail down her back. It was tied off with the same purple ribbon that she had had the night before. He left the majority of it out to surround her dainty form with its chocolate waves. Really, it looked faintly like how Relena had kept her hair, just thicker and in one long braid. He patted her shoulders. "All done! Let's go get breakfast." Minako gave him a warm smile and started for the stairs, Gina following at a sedate pace. Duo smiled affectionately, knowing Minako had him pretty much wrapped already, and grabbed her boots and followed.

The sight he was met with was an amusing one. Heero was attempting to place their plates -fairly healthy and tasty meals of omelets, toast, and sausage patties - down at the bar while Gina weaved between his feet, purring loudly and rubbing against his calves. Minako was spinning around in her chair and asking her father what they were going to do that day.

Grinning widely, Duo walked up behind Heero and snatched the plates from him with all the grace of a cat, setting them down in front of their respective owners. "Gina giving you trouble this morning?" He asked with a light chuckle, Scythe purring quietly and steadily around his neck. Heero gave the cat a withering stare before eating a bit of his omelet. "Yes. She decided to make sure to mark my pants before work today. Why, I haven't the slightest clue. She does this randomly." Duo chuckled. "Maybe she's just feeling really affectionate. I know Scythe likes to rub up on me like that at the worst possible times, but she's just a little devil." Heero smirked. "Like you're one to speak, Shinigami." Duo gave a downright wicked grin, winking as he took a bite of his omelet. Minako watched them interact with a smile, happily eating her breakfast at the same time. "No one can resist Shinigami, Hee-babe. You know everyone loves me. Of course, that could just be my famous Maxwell charm." He glanced appreciatively at his food for a moment before cutting off another bite. "By the way, the omelet is amazing. Since when did you become such a good cook Hee-chan? It used to be ration bars out the wazoo and healthy foods to make any health nut proud for you." Heero gave him a sidelong look before smirking and turning his eyes to Minako, who was happily eating and watching them. She stopped eating and blinked cutely at them as they both stared at her. "What? Is something on my face?" She asked after a moment, beginning to wipe at her mouth. Heero shook his head, Duo saying, "No, no. Nothing's on your face, we were just thinking is all." Minako blinked once more and nodded slowly, going back to her breakfast. "Oh, okay."

Comfortable silence reigned in the kitchen, minus the sounds of eating, and Duo grinned at both Heero and Minako when he finished. "Okay, well, the food was great but I need to get dressed. Should I just dump this in the sink and wash it when I get down here or what?" Minako giggled and Heero rolled his eyes, grabbing the plate from Duo's hands and shooing him along. "We'll take care of the plate. Go get dressed; we need to be out of here in fifteen minutes." He said, Duo chuckling and playfully saluting Heero. "Aye, aye, captain!" With that said, he trotted off to get dressed, knee-length braid swinging behind him entrancingly.

Minako looked at her father oddly, her head tilted to the side and expression one of mild confusion. "Fifteen minutes? But Papa, I'm not going to school today. We don't have to leave for almost thirty minutes." Heero smirked at her and shushed her, his eyes glowing with humor. "I know, but he always takes more time than he's allowed. Watch; he won't get down back down here for twenty minutes, maybe twenty five if he's taking his time." Minako merely eyed him then shrugged, accepting his answer and going back to her food.

Five minutes later found her playfully splashing her father with water as she scrubbed the plates clean of their crumbs and leftovers. She flicked water at him again and he dodged it with a quick step back, playfully tapping her with the drying rag he held in his hands. "See, this is why I never let you wash. You always do this! Why do you find it so amusing to fling water at me?" Ranted the man, ducking and dodging bits of water as Minako's light laughter filled the kitchen. He smiled, knowing he was acting odd and that if Duo were to catch him like this it would stun him, but didn't stop; he would never stop playing with Minako if he had any say in it. And he'd be damned if he didn't have any say in it. No one, not even Une, could take that option away from him.


End file.
